ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando police officer who pinned a homeless man under his car at the end of a high-speed chase will not face a trial, prosecutors say.
Christopher Moulton became wrapped in controversy in February when he initiated a traffic stop on 30-year-old Dornell Bargnare, who he said had an “unreadable” license plate on his car.
He said Bargnare took off, and the chase reached 90-miles-per-hour through city streets. According to investigators, the chase ended when Bargnare rounded a corner and hit a pole – and Neal, who was walking on the sidewalk.
Neal fell, detectives said, and Moulton’s car rolled on top of him as he tried to pin Bargnare in. Neal remained under Moulton’s tire for 15 minutes as a foot chase ensued.
In a memo dated October 17, prosecutors said the question of whether Moulton should have initiated a pursuit was a moral and policy one.
Policy allowed Moulton to chase Bargnare, they explained, and Moulton followed policy as the chase played out.
“Even assuming Moulton at some point pursued Bargnare in a culpably negligent manner, it is impossible to prove when that began and if it was so closely related to Bargnare’s causing Mr. Neal’s death that it should be attributed to Moulton,” Traffic Homicide Unit Chief Attorney Brian Hagner wrote in his 14 pages.
Hagner’s decision under State Attorney Monique Worrell, who does not shy away from prosecuting law enforcement officers, was littered with references to cases to explain why he would not be able to achieve reasonable doubt in court.
An internal investigation into Moulton’s actions, which included prematurely ending his body camera recording when he realized Neal was under his truck, is ongoing.
WFTV has reached out to Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Neal’s family as they weigh a civil lawsuit against the department.
Bargnare’s trial is currently scheduled for December. He faces 30 years in prison for leaving the scene if he’s convicted.
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